- The DP's lieutenants have raised concerns over Uhuru's studious silence
- They have accused the Interior ministry of being used to settle political scores
Image: FILE
DP William Ruto’s allies now want President Uhuru Kenyatta to come clean on what they describe as a vicious state clampdown on them.
The politicians who spoke to the Star yesterday claimed Kenyatta must speak up on their “ongoing persecution” by security agents under Fred Matiangi’s Ministry of Interior.
Kenyatta’s silence, they warned, would confirm their fears that he has quietly instructed state functionaries to silence and intimidate Ruto’s faction in Jubilee. Nyandarua Woman Representative Faith Gitau said it was now clear the police and other government agencies had been roped into succession politics.
The legislator challenged the President to speak his mind on which side he supports between Ruto and Opposition chief Raila Odinga, saying his “hiding in calls for peace is breeding speculation.”
Mukurwe-ini MP Anthony Kiai alleged a deliberate plot to intimidate Ruto’s associates.
“The President must come out and speak with the DP. The President has left Kenyans to interpret the issues for themselves. They must come out together and tell us the true position because we are slowly going back to the dark days,” he told the Star.
Kandara MP Alice Wahome sensationally claimed that Interior PS Karanja Kibicho met a section of influential businessmen from Murang’a county last weekend to scheme how to “stop Ruto from succeeding Uhuru”.
The outspoken lawmaker said the meeting, which she claimed went on until 1am, also discussed a plan on how to cut Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro and herself down to size.
The two are among the DP’s ardent foot soldiers in Mt Kenya.
“The meeting was discussing how to stop Ruto from becoming the President and they discussed that Ndindi Nyoro and I should be cut off the main branch and that we must be crushed in whatever form including death,” Wahome alleged in an interview with Citizen TV on Sunday night.
Attempts to get a comment from Kibicho were not successful as he did not pick calls.
Nyoro is facing arrest for allegedly disrupting a church function attended by the anti-Ruto brigade dubbed Kieleweke.
Wahome’s claims come a few months after Trade Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya and Kibicho were accused of allegedly holding secret meetings at Hotel La Mada to plot Ruto’s assassination.
Ruto has had run-ins with the Interior ministry led by super CS Matiang’i.
At one point, the DP confronted Kibicho at the JKIA VIP lounge for allegedly ordering security personnel to give a wide berth to his political activities.
In April, Ruto’s allies including Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa, all from Central, had their bodyguards withdrawn under unclear circumstances.
Yesterday, Ruto’s allies remained defiant, saying they equally campaigned for the ruling party and are no lesser partners in government.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei told the Star that as Ruto’s foot soldiers “we are determined to pay the ultimate price.”
“We want to warn those in power that they will not hold those positions forever. All these are political persecutions and harassment,” the senator protested
“But because we campaigned for this government, we are willing to complete the remaining journey with them. But those who misuse power should also know their days are coming.”
Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi and his Belgut counterpart Nelson Koech warned Ministry of Interior officials “to remember that power will not last forever in their hands”.
“Let them borrow a leaf from one time powerful ministers and PSs. Some of them now cannot even afford to walk out of their homes. They should take responsibility for their actions,” Sudi warned.
Koech said: “It is unfair to politicize police and other security agencies for short lived dreams. They think they are fighting Ruto but let them know that their days are numbered. All these tribulations they are taking us through someone will one day take responsibility.”
Kikuyu MP Ichung’wa accused the State of misusing the police to persecute Ruto supporters.
He said they will challenge Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai to take responsibility, saying the country was slowly sliding into dark days akin to the Kanu era.
“Let every politician practice politics the way they want. Let them support those they want. But no amount of intimidation, persecution will deter us from taking the positions we have taken,” he said.
Ruto’s allies spoke following a foiled arrest of Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro on Sunday over a church scuffle in his constituency.
Nyoro stormed Gitui Catholic Church and caused a scuffle after he attempted to block team Kieleweke led by nominated MP Maina Kamanda from leading a fundraiser on claims he was being undermined.
Police officers later pursued the MP to Nairobi but did not arrest him despite camping outside the Citizen TV studios where Nyoro was being interviewed on Sunday night.
The attempted arrest of Nyoro came just days after two other close allies of Ruto, Johana Ng’eno (Emurua Dikir) and Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, were arrested amid fears of a clampdown on pro-Ruto forces.
Yesterday, Nyoro accused Kibicho of being used to settle political battles. “I want to tell Karanja Kibicho that he should stop being used to fight political battles. What is happening is that those of us who are supporting the Deputy President are being targeted,” Nyoro, a staunch Ruto supporter, said.
“We all respect the two leaders and when they get the chance, let them call us for a meeting to bring the differences to an end,” the MP said, insisting that the Kieleweke and Tangatanga politics were ruining the party.
Raila’s former political adviser Miguna Miguna questioned why the State was applying double standards when dealing with MPs.
“When Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu accosts and disrupts CS (Mwangi) Kiunjuri and other MPs’ functions, Despot Uhuru Kenyatta does not order his goons in uniform to arrest him. But Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro is arrested for interrupting Maina Kamanda,” he tweeted.